Mid Sized 1927 Movie Theater...Reopens in Chicago...

[Stuart G]

Patio Movie Theater, has reopened in Chicago on June 3.
1500 Seat Neighborhood theater...reopened today Showing "Thor..."
Address:

6008 W.Irving Park Road

Chicago, IL



But this is a very unusual moment..an old theater reopens..

the Patio Theater link:
http://patiotheater.net/

This link below, shows what the theater looked like a number of years ago. Note that it is part of an old theater building with stores next door. I do not have a current picture, but I recall being in there maybe 20 years ago. Very unusual moment
in movie going history. Oh, it costs 5 dollars to get in for everyone..
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here is a link to more info:

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/272

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I hope it makies it, but I do not know...
This one is about 8 miles from where I live, and I will try to see the place and the film next week..

[FSogol]

1. Cool, thanks for posting. n/t

[itsrobert]

2. I remember they tore down a beautiful theater in my home town and but

in a Meryns. The Meryns is long gone.

[MineralMan]

3. Excellent!

The old theater in my home town finally shut down this year. I remember going there in the 1950s and 1960s, and even remember some old cowboy serials they used to run to get you back in the next week.

[elocs]

4. Here is the old movie theater in my city where I saw movies for a quarter as a little kid

over 50 years ago.




http://www.yelp.com/biz/rivoli-theatre-and-pizzeria-la-crosse

Built in 1920 as a vaudeville theatre, the Rivoli Theatre was designed by architects Bernard Dockendorff and A.E. Parkinson. They imported a neo-classical "Spanish" motiff for the interior, in order to create a sort of stylized 'Atmospheric' garden setting. This worked well in the early Vaudeville days, to create a sense of room and openness- as well as a touch of class.

These days, tables are set in the very front of the theater, on top of black-and-white linoleum, which looks like an old dance floor. Although old, and needing updated paint- the interior is still in pretty good shape, although some of the older seats need replacing.

Although it seems strangely out-of-place in La Crosse, the overall effect really works to sort of "whisk" you back in time- and you wonder what sort of shows and acts used to play here.

The Rivoli has two screens- and is listed as having 1025 seats! Most of the seating is in the main theater, the second screen being located in what apparently used to be a former lounge, now known as the "Screening Room". Much smaller and more intimate than the main theater- and all of the seats have tables in front of them to hold your food and beverages.

Too bad there's not pictures of the inside because to little kids it really looks like a castle. I can remember reading about how in the terrible dust bowl heat wave of 1936 when the temperature that July hit 108 and people were dying from the heat that the doors of the Rivoli were opened so people could sleep inside because it was about the only place with air conditioning. It has lots of good memories for me over the decades.

Today it shows second run movies, $4 for adults, $3 for students, and with $2 matinees. It has, what became called years later, stadium seating and is still a great place to see and experience a movie for a great price.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Such a beautiful theater. Wonderful it is being restored.

The owners sound very community minded and thoughtful on their website, if I lived in Chicago I'd see every movie they screened, no matter what. Just an adorable movie house, may they have great success.